Happy Endings
by skinnyjeansbigdreams
Summary: Eret's always seen the fiery blonde Viking as the finishing piece to his story, however, she's too caught up with the chief to pay attention to him. Accidentally deleted it and almost cried so I'm re-putting it up.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Ah, my very first posted Fanfiction. Little bit nervous here, guys. As much as I dislike his character in the movie, Eret's honestly a barrel of monkeys to write. I love the cocky, entitled attitude when I finally get into character. Besides that, a little bit wary of him in the movie. Oops! I hope this is fine reading, and sorry it's a little bit on the shorter side. Or maybe not, idk what counts as "short." Enjoy the reading, feel free to criticize!**

Chapter One::  
>The God's Cruel Game<p>

As his heavily padded feet made their way across the snow towards the forge, Eret, son of Eret, couldn't help but feel bitter towards the young man who took up residence there most of the time. Not because the chief of the viking village known as Berk was particularly hard to get along with— infact Hiccup was quite the opposite. Even if he made jokes that Eret never seemed to understand. The reason the newcomer disliked the russet hair and lopsided grin was because Hiccup had that last missing piece to Eret's story— the Viking goddess with soft blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. Astrid. Odin help him, even her name was beautiful.

The distinct signs of a committed relationship were there before that heated kiss at the end of battle, Eret just never wanted to acknowledge them. The way Hiccup seemed almost protective over the ridiculously fiery viking who didn't need protecting, the way Astrid talked him up when she was faced with death and Drago, the way she had dropped to his side when Stoick died. Eret always brushed those off as signs of close childhood friends. He was really just putting off what was going to happen eventually— and his heart didn't appreciate it. He felt bitterness and pain, when he watched the two young lovebirds lips meet. Thus, his distaste for the young chief formed.

Since his eyes had laid upon the gorgeous young woman with an equally gorgeous personality, he had admired her. From the furious look in her deep blue eyes to the stance she held the stick to be used as a weapon, he wanted her. He would never show it— never show weakness in front of a dragon (or a rider)— but his brain was spinning about a mile a minute on how they could convince these two to join their team. Well, mostly just her. He didn't want anything to do with the sassy diplomat insulting him. Imagine his surprise when she appeared on his ship, tangled in net and completely useless. If Hiccup hadn't been taking up his time (like he did on most of that journey) Eret would have been able to make a move and possibly tangle in his fingers in the sunlight coloured hair. She really was a Viking's utmost idea of beauty, but he couldn't admire it while that walking elephant with the metal leg constantly getting in the way. Him, and his frustratingly vast father.

His lust for her didn't even fade when she kidnapped him and almost got him killed. That had to count for something, if someone was keeping records. He also rescued them along with himself, turning to the good side. He learned to ride Stormfly (once again thanks to that lovely woman) and helped the hero overcome the bad guy. It was about time his story was wrapped up with the pretty girl and a happy family. The Gods seemed to have a different idea, and they were certainly playing a cruel, cruel game.

After some time suffering through watching chaste kisses and holding hands between Hiccup and Astrid, the chief deemed it time Eret learned how to properly handle Skullcrusher so he could help with the repairs to his new home. Eret liked it on Berk, and he was eager to learn Dragon-Human understanding. That was, until the slender form of his now unattainable love stalked in and told him she was his teacher. His back still tingled from the countless times she held onto him, showing him the ins and outs of flying instead of trapping. It would have been so easy, right there, to make a move. He would have, had it been the girlfriend of any other man. Unfortunately, she was the chief's beauty. She belonged to Hiccup. Eret was positive he wouldn't just get the annoyed look Snotlout received for making a move on the woman the most important man in the village was going to marry soon. He didn't fancy getting chased out when he just managed to settle in.

He was so completely wrapped up in the haunting thoughts of the woman he couldn't have, that he failed to make a warning noise when entering the warm forge. Gobber wasn't there, which means he was forced to go searching in the back for Hiccup. He would regret both actions, for they left him with an image his brown eyes never wanted to see.

The lanky, auburned hair lad had his fairy-tale ending pressed back against his desk, one of her long legs hiked up around his waist. His slender fingers were snaked up under her shirt, Eret could see the movement under the red fabric. Oddly enough, Astrid was missing the spiked armour she almost constantly wore, and Eret felt like they planned this. Especially if Hiccup had known that Gobber wasn't going to be in the forge. The thought of what would've happened disgusted him even more than what he saw and he made a noise, turning away. There was a squeak and suddenly Hiccup was stumbling backwards, green eyes churning with both lust and confusion. Well, it was about time they noticed he was there.

It was strange, catching Hiccup and Astrid in an act of intimacy. Despite the fact Hiccup's face was a colour red not yet known to vikings, he seemed almost smug. Like that shy, awkward smile was hiding thoughts about how great it was to be sucking the face of the prettiest girl on this heap of wet rock. Eret's stomach churned with anger at the thought of Hiccup subtly rubbing it in his face, without him even knowing. What did the stunning young lass even see in him, anyway? Besides the chiefdom, the wiry boy had nothing of real admiration. He was all elbows, with a small amount of lean muscle and one leg. There was a metal contraption replacing his foot— how was that in any way attractive? His eyelashes were too feminine for a viking, and he looked seventeen when he was twenty. He could only think up one reason why Astrid might have gone for that. Either it was because she enjoyed being completely in control, Hiccup seemed really submissive, or she was one of his many fan girls. "Pride of Berk" was a good title to have when you're a disappointment to the viking stereotype.

No matter how much he hated to admit it, that didn't make sense. Eret could see the love in her brilliantly blue eyes, and it just fuelled the fire stirring in his gut. She should be looking at him like that— not some viking wannabe with twigs for arms.

"Oh, Eret. Hey… Eret." Hiccup was nervously swinging his arms around, glancing uncomfortably between him and the door. Eret's gaze landed on the head of shiny hair. She was hiding her face, although he could see the brilliant crimson colour running down her chest. He wasn't going to look there— he wasn't. Instead, he turned his attention to the real reason why he came here, even thought it caused him to swallow down some more vulgar terms. He was always polite to his unknowing enemy, just stand-offish. It was the best way to keep all these feelings hidden. "What are you doing here?"

"I-" His eyebrows furrowed together, realizing that in his brooding he had completely forgotten why he came to the forge this late anyway. He reached up to scratch his neck, struggling to remember. "I honestly can't remember." He could almost feel Hiccup's annoyance, although the chief wouldn't show it. He was too proper. Acting high and mighty all the time. It made Eret want to roll his eyes.

In the moments before their heartwarming kiss, Eret actually had the delusion him and the small kid could be friends. As soon as he saw their kiss, he crushed all those feelings right down. Polite acquaintances, sure. But he couldn't be friends, not when he'd have to watch the other man make googly eyes at what should surely be his girlfriend. Having to go and pretend to enjoy their wedding was going to be hard enough as it was.

"Do you want to come back later? Or I guess you could stick around until you remember—" Hiccup was wildly waving his hands in the air, and Eret could sense how much he wanted to get back to whatever it was him and Astrid were doing. Eret didn't want to think about that too much. He wanted to stop, and yell, and tell Astrid just how much she should be with him and not that ridiculous walking fishbone they all called chief. However, no matter how much he was caught up in his rage, he knew that would be a mistake. Hiccup could run the village better than he could, and the ex-trapper had to bite his lower lip to keep himself from making any kind of rude remark.

"I'll just get going." He said scruffily, interrupting Hiccup from some kind of ludicrous nervous rambling. "If I remember, I'll come back in the morning." He let out a slight snicker, turning his gaze once more on Astrid. She squirmed under his gaze, reaching up to brush some of that deliciously silky hair out of her face. Her shirt was crumpled, no doubt from Hiccup's advanced, and her leggings were falling a little bit off her hips. He could see that tiny bit of golden skin peeking out above her hip bones, but before he could enjoy it at all she tugged on her shirt self-consciously.

"Great, then, I guess we'll see you. Tomorrow. Sometime. Maybe." Hiccup's hands finally came to a resting spot on his hips, and his head slowly nodded. The chief was nothing more than a kid, still embarrassed by getting caught making out with his girlfriend. Eret snickered, turning around and barrelling out of there. Maybe he could find something to keep his mind off that image that keeps replaying over and over his head.

Or maybe he'll keep it as fuel to snatch Astrid away at his first opportunity. And as he walked away, hearing the annoying nasally voice summon an adorable giggle, he decided that the latter would be the route he would take.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Some people wanted a part two. So here, have a part two.  
>Jealous boyfriend mode <strong>**_activated._**

Chapter Two::  
>Late Night Revelations<p>

Hiccup walked through the rows of houses from the forge, heading on his way home. Good was an understatement for how high his spirits were. He was still slightly drunk off the taste of his girlfriend's lips, his good mood attributed to the fun they just had. He reached up to rest his hands on the back of his neck, his tongue darting out to run along his lower lip as if to clear the lingering remains of her taste on his lips. Everything had gone according to plan- well, mostly everything.

Eret interrupting them hadn't been exactly planned, but it was more embarrassing then anything else. He was starting to wonder if the Gods didn't just enjoy putting him in uncomfortable situations. Odin knows they'd sent his peers in to interrupt him and Astrid more than he'd like to think about. Eret's reactions were by far his favourite, though, as they usually didn't involve crude innuendos from the Twins or Snotlout's pestering for more information about Astrid's body. Hiccup felt a soft blush pull across his cheeks at the thought of the questions his cousin had asked. The drunker he got, the more adventurous Snotlout's questions became. Hiccup shook his head to clear the thoughts.

Eret did nothing more then snicker and look slightly pissed off. The young chief couldn't really figure out why the ex-trapper disliked him. Over time the other Viking became more and more distant, completely shutting himself away from the chief the day he'd assigned Astrid to coach him on how to direct Skullcrusher. It was a strange turn of events, since Eret seemed happy with Hiccup's peace offering of Skullcrusher immediately after the battle. Maybe it had to do with the ego- the only reason Hiccup could come up with was that Eret was used to being "the best dragon wrangler out there!" Hiccup suddenly had the fame (not the he wanted it) from defeating Drago and Eret wasn't liking it.

Hiccup turned down an alleyway between the back of two rows of houses, taking a short cut back home. He hoped his mother was off flying Cloudjumper- his body was exhausted from all of the days jobs and activities that he wanted nothing more then to sleep. Talking to his mom wasn't something he wanted to do. His soft furs were calling him from here.

His green eyes detected something in the darkness in front of him and he squinted, trying to make sense of the figures. He could faintly detect the sound of talking, which meant they were Vikings. All three were sitting on the ground in a small circle. The words were too slurred and too far for him to hear what they were saying. They hadn't seemed to notice him, so he continued on his way. Whoever it was, he didn't need to eavesdrop. It was none of his business, and eavesdropping was a waste of his time. He walked down the alley towards them, keeping his gaze pointedly fixed on the turn where the alley would bring him to the hill in front of his house. He was just about to turn when he heard a familiar voice.

"...Astrid." It was Eret's distinct accent, ringing through the darkness. Hiccup blinked slightly and ducked down beside a house, peeking out around the corner. His eyes noticed the shape- large arms, square face. He was holding something in one hand, and from the slurred sound of his voice he assumed it was some sort of alcohol.

"Yeah, man. I know." His cousin's voice followed behind him and Hiccup couldn't help it. He had to stay and listen. After all, it was kind of his business when his girlfriend was involved. He slid down the ground to his knees, watching the three figures with eyes full of curiosity. He could make out the third figure now- it was the tall, slender shape of Tuffnut. He wasn't surprised, really. All three of them had quite a bit in common- girls, muscles, having huge egos. They were the same reason Hiccup could never bond with any of them.

"It just isn't fair. Why does he get all of it?" Eret lifted the bottle to his lips, his voice full of frustration. "He gets to be the hero, the chiefdom, _and_ he gets the girl."

What was he talking about? Hiccup's mind went into overdrive, trying to figure out what piece of the conversation he was missing. If Eret wanted the chiefdom, then Thor let him have it. Hiccup knew it was far more trouble then it was worth to run a village full of hard-headed Vikings with violent behaviours. If he hadn't had Astrid, he probably would have fallen apart a week into his new job. Astrid. He mentioned getting the girl? Suddenly, everything sunk in and Hiccup realized why Eret had a grudge against him for so long.

The way Eret's face lit up when Astrid walked in, but dropped when she took her spot beside Hiccup. How happy he was to get a job working with Astrid when they were cleaning up the ice. How eager he was to start learning to ride Skullcrusher when she was given to him as his coach. How angry he got whenever he interrupted them doing something more than just kissing. Hiccup's lips pressed into an angry line.

He couldn't blame the other Viking for wanting his girlfriend- really. She was gorgeous, and fiery, and _flawless._ Sometimes Hiccup wondered if she was a Valkyrie sent from Valhalla to live in Berk and torture them all. However, he couldn't help but feel a burst of jealousy and fury. It wasn't Hiccup's fault that Astrid picked him. And the other Viking certainly wasn't entitled to the blonde like he seemed to think he was. Astrid wasn't some doll they should fight over like young children.

"What does she see in him, anyway? He's barely more than a toothpick." Eret was motioning drunkenly with his arms. "The lad doesn't even have_ two legs_!"

"Well, maybe you should show her what she's missing." Snotlout lifted his bottle and took another swig.

That was it, that did it for Hiccup. He couldn't listen any more. Standing up, he placed his hands on his hips and cleared his throat loudly. Snotlout's jaw dropped at the sight of his cousin, and Eret looked far too guilty. Tuffnut, who'd been quiet throughout the entire situation, was the only one who pulled a grin towards the intruder.

"Heeeeeeeey, Hiccup." The male Thorston wiggled his eyebrows.

"How long have you been standing there?" Eret stared up at his chief.

"Oh, you know, long enough to figure out that you think you're entitled to my girlfriend." Hiccup's voice seethed with sarcasm, his happy mood from earlier all but forgotten in his sudden rage.

Eret opened his mouth to reply, but Hiccup cut him off. "She isn't just a prize- something you get because you're suddenly on the good side." He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he pointed his finger towards the taller Viking. "She has feelings." His fists clenched at his side and he took a deep breath, shaking his head.

"But really, if you think you can win her away from me, then be my guest." He hissed through his teeth, his green eyes burning with anger. He spun around on his metal foot, ignoring Snotlout's calling after him.

Game on, Eret.

_Game on._

**Hiccup being a protective little shit and some late night secret Club Manly meetings. :D I hope this was okay. Sorry for the shortness of it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Do to popular demand, I will be continuing this series. This chapter jumps around a bit, sorry. But there's a lot of cute Hiccstrid because of Hiccup trying to prove a point to Eret, so I hope that makes up for it!**

Chapter Three:  
>The Game's Begun<p>

Eret opened his door to let the sun in, the light trickling in and blinding him. His pounding headache only got considerably worse from the bright light, and Eret vowed to never get drunk again. Last night was a disaster- and it looked like his luck was going to trickle into the morning as well. He rubbed one of his stinging eyes with the heel of his hand and glanced up, only to be met with something ridiculously bittersweet.

His _favourite_ couple were walking through the village, arm in arm, laughing and joking. The eyes Astrid was giving her boyfriend made Eret want to wretch. Hiccup was waving his arms around animatedly, explaining some brilliant plan. She had a wicker basket tucked in the nook of her elbow, filled with a pile of fabric. Her fingers were twisting his hair into those ridiculous braids she put there more often then not. His hair wasn't even long enough for them, they just stuck out at odd angles from the messy mop of copper on his head. Hiccup was trying to force annoyance, but there was a trace of amusement dancing across his face. They were so picturesque- it was disgusting. Eret resisted the urge to roll his eyes, standing stiffly in the doorframe to his house and following them with hard eyes.

Astrid was the first to notice his presence, and it would seem Hiccup hadn't mentioned his revelation last night for she greeted him with the same enthusiasm she did everyday. Eret got temporarily lost in the way the sunlight danced off her eyes, causing them to sparkle. Her hand flew off of Hiccup's shoulder to wave, interrupting Hiccup mid-sentence. Hiccup dropped his hands to his sides and cocked his head to the left, following her gaze to the more formidable Viking watching them.

"Hi Eret!" Astrid flashed him a brilliant smile, her teeth shining bright white. He grunted in a short greeting, and Eret couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to run his tongue along the sharp canines decorating her mouth. Hiccup greeted him with less zeal, giving him nothing more than a polite nod. Eret didn't miss the whispers of a smug smirk pulling on his features as he pulled Astrid in closer to press a kiss against her temple. That one little show of affection sent Eret's blood boiling and turned Astrid's attention away from who it should surely be on. They went back to chattering away, continuing their trek down to the village centre. Eret spun around into his house, grinding his teeth against each other.

His head spun as he realized that that was Hiccup's way of shoving their relationship right in his face. There were plenty other shorter routes from Astrid's house to the village centre and the forge where Hiccup would spend most of his day, but Hiccup had purposely led them down the road where he knew Eret lived. Eret started to gather up his swords, pulling on his belt and holstering them into place. He was going to take up Hiccup's proposal from last night- and he was going to show Astrid what a_ true_ Viking looked like. Before the week was up, Astrid would be in _his _arms, and Hiccup would be able to do nothing but sulk from the shadows.

Eret turned and bounded down small hill in front of his house to the road. He started to follow the couple's direction to the forge, mumbling half-spoken greetings to the other Hooligans as he passed. He didn't remember most of their names, still being a newcomer. Nothing more than an oddity amongst the bunch- his accent guaranteed that. He stumbled with a hammering headache down the paths to the forge. He straightened himself up and ran a hand over his hand. He noticed that Hiccup was bent over a little little desk where he was scribbling something in his notebook and calling over his shoulder. His blonde beauty was sitting beside him, perched up on a work desk with her legs pulled in and a determined face pulled across her features. She was sewing, looking completely frustrated with the tiny needle and thread. She was clearly more experienced with a battle axe than something the side of a strand of hair.

Now that Eret thought about it, he'd noticed Astrid doing a lot less fight training and a lot more household duties, such as cooking and cleaning. It wasn't a surprise really, the village was preparing her to become the chief's wife when the time was right. Eret couldn't help but quietly snicker at that. He'd never dream of trapping Astrid inside of a house and make her nothing more than a child-bearer. Hiccup stood up and turned around, wrapping his arms around Astrid and guiding her fingers into the rhythm of the needle. He leaned down to murmur something in her ear and it earned a soft laugh from Astrid. If it had been anyone but the spunky young lass, it would've been a giggle. Eret cleared his throat and placed his hands on his hips, motioning to the desk with a jerk of his tattoo'd chin.

"Don't you have a job to be doing, _chief_?" Eret took satisfaction from the eye roll he managed to pull from his competitor. Hiccup reluctantly dropped Astrid's hand and removed his arms from her, folding them over his chest instead. He sauntered over to the window with the familiar gait of a man with one leg. The chief leaned forward against the counter top, giving him that naive head tilt he did to imply he was listening. His elbows pressed against the awful woodwork of the uneven planks and his face didn't betray any emotion.

"I remembered what I came for last night," Eret began, motioning with a slight movement of his hand.

"Great," Hiccup spoke with a cold indifference, pushing himself up from the counter with surprisingly strong arms. "Take a number. I'll get to you when I'm done with everyone else." With that, he spun on his heel and stalked back over to the desk and Astrid. Her eyelashes flickered as she blinked in surprise, glancing between the two men. Eret couldn't do much but stand there in shock, staring with a blank face at the chief's back. He'd never had to wait for the chief's attention- it was one of the perks of being pulled into the group of young people whom he'd helped destroy Drago. Eret's hands clenched at his sides and he turned away from the forge.

He was really going to enjoy prying Astrid away from Hiccup's scrawny arms.

* * *

><p>Eret wasn't surprised when he came into the Great Hall for supper that night to find Hiccup standing at the head of the council's table. He had a piece of paper sprawled across the table, and his arms were flying in all different directions. He was explaining some new design to his group of advisers, and all but Spitelout looked completely awestruck by his idea. Eret rolled his eyes and headed towards his usual table, where he would sit with the younger, less mature Vikings. They were annoying, but provided a great deal of amusement. And that was were Astrid was sitting, looking lonely and bored as she pushed her food around her plate. She would occasionally shoot glances over to shoulder to see if she could catch Hiccup's eye, but the young chief was so caught up in his plans he didn't even spare her a quick glance.<p>

Usually, Eret would take his seat at the end of the table, feeling outcasted since these five had grown up together and were four years younger than him. He'd admire Astrid from afar, listening to the crude humour and silly jokes the others would make. Occasionally, when Hiccup would join them at their table, he'd take out his pent-up anger on the chicken leg sitting on his plate. Today, however, he was feeling particularly brave, and Hiccup's proposal last night rang in his ears. He sat down in Hiccup's usual spot, between Astrid and the chubbier blonde named Fishlegs. The table collectively quieted, all of their curious eyes turned to stare at him in confusion. Astrid especially looked confused, turning beside her and tilting her head. Eret simply shrugged them off, ignoring Snotlout's satisfied smile on the other side of the table. Turns out, Snotlout wanted to see Astrid and Hiccup crash and burn just as much as he did- although Eret felt like it was more of a personal vengeance reason then any actual feelings towards Astrid. After five long minutes of awkward silence, the table's chatter sprung up again and Eret turned his attention to the lovely blonde beside him, who was still studying him with curious eyes.

"Hey," he nodded curtly, picking at the food on his plate.

"Hey," she responded, brushing her bangs out of her face. She shot a glance in Hiccup's direction, but he hadn't noticed any change. He was still talking animatedly, his eyes wide with wonder and excitement. Eret rolled his eyes slightly.

"I'm sorry, for the way he acted earlier. I'm not really sure what got into him," she said softly, jerking her chin in her boyfriends direction. A sense of victory spread through Eret's body, making him tingle. That was one step in his direction, one step away from Hiccup's. All he had to do was play it cool and seem like the bigger person, and she'd be his in no time. Especially if Hiccup was going to pull stunts like that often.

He shrugged one shoulder, glancing at her. "Not a big deal," he responded.

"He's been acting weird all day," Astrid rested her cheek in her palm, staring at her boyfriend with her brows furrowed and a worried look pulled across her face.

"You look like you need to talk about it," Eret tried his hardest not to sound hopeful, watching the back of her head. Her braid swung around when her attention turned back to him, her eyes settling on his face. "You want to go for a flight, or something?"

With one sweeping look over the table, Astrid nodded and slowly stood up. "Yeah, actually. That sounds like a good idea. I could use some fresh air after being stuck in the forge sewing all day," she pushed her plate further towards the middle of the table. Eret pulled himself to his feet slowly, despite every bone in his body telling him to grab her and run. He didn't miss Snotlout's not-so-subtle wink, and he could only hope that Astrid did. She was already walking towards the door, and he wondered if the swing of her hips was just a by-product of her attitude or if was on purpose. A part of him wished for the latter.

He followed her out, and as he reached the front doors of the Great Hall he felt eyes burning into the back of his head. He glanced back at the table where Hiccup was sitting- small and insignificant- in his father's _vast_ chair. The boy's green eyes were narrowed into small slits, and his expression read nothing less than fury. Eret smirked in victory, and stepped out into the cool evening air.

It would seem everything was starting to fall into place.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Finally got some Toothless in here. I realized the dragon has been much neglected in this story and Hiccup needs some comfort, so.**

Chapter Four::  
>Midnight Mishaps<p>

Hiccup felt a twinge of regret in his stomach as he watched Eret slip out the door with a coy smirk. Hiccup had been so caught up in explain his new fishing boat idea that he had failed to notice Eret taking his girlfriend out into the night until it was too late. He shouldn't be mad- he brought this on himself. He did give Eret permission in his rage to take a shot at his love and he was feeling the aftermath. His own insecurities were eating him from the inside out, tiny voices whispering things in the back of his mind that made him doubt himself. After all, Eret could offer everything Hiccup could, plus some. He was far more handsome, and far more Viking. Astrid and him could bond over weapons and stories of scars. Eret was probably also a far more fun drinking buddy- Astrid had always gotten upset that Hiccup was no fun to drink with. Eret could offer protection for a family, and really, he was a lot less likely to die than one-legged Hiccup. Hiccup grimaced at the thought and pushed out of his chair. None of that stopped him from being angry. He excused himself from the council's table and stalked off to the table Astrid was sitting at mere minutes before. An awkward silence broke out amongst the tables inhabitants.

"Where'd Astrid go?" He asked calmly, refusing to show the panic falling over his mind. Every part of him was screaming to run out behind them and give chase, taking back every challenge he gave to Eret. His feet stayed glued in place though, as his eyes flickered over the faces of his companions. Fishlegs looked guilty, Snotlout looked smug, and the Thorston twins were snickering and whispering to each other. Hiccup brought his arms up to his chest and waited patiently for an answer.

"Her and Eret went for a 'ride'," Ruffnut started, grinning a little and putting air quotes around 'ride.' Hiccup couldn't stop himself from cringing- which sent both the twins into a loud cackle. Snotlout snorted into his tankard, glancing up at Hiccup with glittering eyes. The young chief rolled his eyes and took a step back away from the table.

"Astrid would never do anything with him," Fishlegs piped in, trying to lift his friend's spirits. Hiccup appreciated the effort and nodded his thanks towards the larger boy.

"Thanks, Legs," He turned around, giving a small wave in goodbye. "I'll see you all later."

"Bye, chief," Snotlout sniggered, placing his mug down with a loud thud against the wooden table. Hiccup pursed his lips and sauntered off towards the door, out into the cool night air. He hated whenever one of the members of the original group of dragon riders would call him that. It was hard enough to adjust to the older members of the tribe calling him that. He was still Hiccup. Nerdy, un-viking-like Hiccup, with ridiculous ideas that ended up getting him into more trouble than they did good. It's not like being chief suddenly changed that about him. He reached up to ruffle his hair, a sigh escaping his slightly parted lips. He could see his breath form in the cold air outside, and for a moment, he let himself focus on the slowly dissolving heat.

A familiar grunt sounded behind him, followed by the feeling of scales rubbing against his hands. Hiccup glanced down to see the pale green eyes of his best friend staring up at him. The dragon could sense his boy's discontent, and warbled worriedly.

"I'm fine, Bud," Hiccup assured his Night Fury, descending the stairs. Toothless followed behind him, his metal tail making a grinding noise against the stone as he dragged it behind him. Hiccup felt a smile spread across his face despite the turmoil settling in his stomach. He reached out to scratch behind a black ear nub as they walked, a mindless gesture that brought him comfort. At least he never had to worry about Toothless leaving him for someone better- the dragon seemed to find his boy the best human in the world. And neither of them would ever be comfortable with a replacement. "Just heading to bed early tonight so we can get up for a morning flight before the rush tomorrow. Sound good?"

A happy rumble sounded in Toothless' chest and he bobbed his head, his face perking up considerably at the proposal. Hiccup's smile spread wider and he nodded back, laughing at the dragon's excitement.

"Alright, Bud. We better get some sleep then." He nodded towards the dark house on top of the hill and headed in it's direction. Toothless would run ahead a few steps, before pausing and glancing back at his master with a pink grin.

"I wish I had your problems," he chuckled, watching his dragon bound around in the snow, leaving giant footprints in his wake. "All you have to worry about is how often you can convince me to fly or when the next feeding time is. No responsibilities, no relationships, just a carefree life full of eating and sleeping and flying. Sounds pretty great." He reached up to scratch an itch on the back of his neck, and his fingers ran against the two braids sitting there. They were two ridiculous little things, but they were a piece of her that he could carry with him wherever he went. Astrid wouldn't leave him after one flight with Eret, he reassured himself. She'd been upset with him since he snapped at the other man earlier, saying he was acting 'moody' and 'childish,' but not enough to do anything rash. She didn't know that Eret saw her as a prize. A trophy to place on a pedestal, to prove his achievements. Hiccup didn't want to tell her, since it was going to be him to hold her back from sinking her axe into Eret's chest to give him a scar to match the one instilled on him by Drago. Or, that's what he figured would happen. Maybe she'd just be flattered and move on.

Nah.

He opened the door to his home, stepping inside the eerily cold house. It'd been six months, yet he still expected to see his father's smiling face whenever he came in the door. His heart twinged at the thought and he started to putter around the house, tidying up a bit before heading up to his room. Neither him or his mom wanted to touch his dad's old room- so he'd stayed upstairs in his loft where all his drawings and inventions and crazy things he didn't have time for any more sat half-finished around the room. Toothless lit the fire in the middle of the room and laid down beside it, pointedly closing his eyes.

"Impatient dragon," Hiccup snorted, unbuckling his flying armour. Piece by piece it fell to the ground, and he placed the pile of buttons, springs and leather on his desk in an untidy pile. He tugged his tunic over his head and switched his trousers out for something looser and more comfortable. He glanced in the direction of his window, expecting a familiar face to pop into view and tumble inside gracefully. She didn't come, though, so he pulled the blankets over himself and laid his head on his pillow. It took him a while, thanks to those excessive thoughts fluttering about his brain, but eventually, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Today had been backwards.<p>

First of all, she hadn't been out training. Astrid been _sewing_. Luckily, Hiccup managed to convince her mom to let her take the fabric to the forge, but she'd still been sewing. Just like her mom had been asking her to cook and clean around the house as well. It was clear that she was preparing her daughter for marriage- but it wasn't like she was going to be spending all her time cooking and cleaning and taking care of children for Hiccup. She was going to be lady-chief, taking equal partnership of the duties Hiccup had sitting on his shoulders right now. Which brought her to another thing that was completely wrong today. Hiccup's personality. Usually he was sweet, and bashful, and warm, but today he'd been cold and extremely touchy. Not that touchy was a bad thing, but it was awkward most of the time and unexpected. And then he'd snapped at Eret earlier. There was so much tension between the two that you could swim in it, but she still felt Hiccup's actions were uncalled for. She'd taken it into her hands to apologize to the newcomer while they flew, and he'd forgiven the chief, but that didn't make it okay. She'd also snuck off without Hiccup, even if it wasn't sneaking. Usually she took every opportunity to spend time with her boyfriend well should could, but tonight she just didn't want too. He was acting weird.

Still, she missed him, and that's why she found herself sneaking up the hill in the shadows to Hiccup's bedroom window. Funny, he was the most important figure in the village, and they still had to sneak around. It was improper for them to sleep next to one another even if they were going to get married one day. Neither of them were ready for it yet, that was all. She hoisted herself up the familiar footholds in the siding of the house and pushed the window frame open. She'd stayed out late with Eret, flying laps around the island and learning more about the foreigner. He reminded her of a mixture of Hiccup and Snotlout- sweet, but vain. Intelligent, but thick-headed. She could tolerate him, maybe even befriend him, but he'd never compare to her Hiccup. Her innocent, adorable Hiccup, who was passed out and snoring ungracefully on the bed. One arm was dangling over the side of the bed, the only sign of the boy even on the bed. He was so lost under his furs. She laughed quietly, smiling. Even if her day went wrong, or was completely backwards, she could count of that to perk her up.

Toothless grumbled something and lifted his head, his sleepy eyes expressing his displeasure with her for waking him up. She pursed her lips and smiled at the dragon, shutting the wooden shutters behind her.

"Sorry, Toothless," she whispered in the darkness. The dragon dropped his head once more and with a dramatic sigh, flopped onto his side. Astrid tip-toed across the floor to the warm bed with the equally warm body that was beckoning her too it. She shredded her winter clothing as she walked across the room to him, dropping her hood and her boots. She wasn't wearing her armour- she'd dropped it off at her house before she came here. She slid under the covers, softly moving Hiccup's arms onto his side of the bed. Gods, he was hard to sleep with. His remaining limbs were everywhere, leaving her with only a quarter of the bed. She rolled her eyes slightly and pressed her shivering body to his side. This disturbed him and he shifted towards her, his arms finding their way around her and his head burying his face in her hair.

"Hiccup?"

"Mmph?"

"Sorry for waking you." Astrid whispered into the darkness. His mouth widened into a yawn, and she once again was reminded just how precious sleep was to him. He'd barely had a good night sleep since the day he'd been made chief.

"S'okay," his voice was sleepy and cute, and she bit down on her lip. She shut her eyes softly and curled up in his long, lean arms. They fit together so perfectly- there was no place she'd rather be than in sleepy Hiccup's arms.

"Astrid?"

"Yes, Hiccup?"

"What were you doing with Eret earlier?"

The question took her by surprised and she opened her eyes. She tilted her head to look up at him, and the viridian eyes were piercing even in the darkness. They were questioning, and if she wasn't mistaken, almost a little distrustful.

"We were flying, and talking."

"About what?"

"Does it matter? It's not like we were doing anything." She felt offended by the interrogation. She'd thought they had an unspoken agreement- she was his, he was hers, no questions asked. They were loyal. She never got angry when some village girl was flirting with him. Yet she took one flight with someone they were close friends with and suddenly she was in the wrong.

"Sorry, nevermind." Hiccup's voice dropped and he shrugged, closing his eyes once again.

"No, seriously. What's up with you? Why are you so worried about Eret?" Astrid wiggled herself out of his arms and he frowned, his eyelashes fluttering as he opened his eyes once more.

"I was just wondering. Am I not allowed to be curious about what my girlfriend is doing with other men?"

"Not if they aren't doing anything! Do you not trust me, Hiccup?" There was a hint of anger in her voice.

"Of course I trust you-" She lifted up her finger to cut him off, rolling out from under the covers. She stood up, her feet hitting against the ground and her skin feeling the chill of the winter once she no longer had a heat source.

"Then maybe you should start acting like it. I'm independent, Hiccup, I don't need to check in with you with everything I do." She hissed in the darkness, backing up towards the window and gathering up her discarded clothing. Hiccup sat up, leaning against his arm as he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Astrid-"

"No, don't 'Astrid' me. You need to stop whatever, this-" She gestured to him, "is, okay? Because I don't like it." His voice followed her as she heaved out of the window, met with a burst of cold wind. But she ignored him, landing in the snow and stalking off towards her own house.

**Whoops, getting a little tense her with everything. but don't worry, it'll fix itself. eventually. i gotta give Eret some false hope, don't I? I'm a bad person. I also am going to need a schedule for my stories for now, so here, I'll let you know.**

**Sunday's and Wednesday's will be for Endings, so you know. I have plans for these three, I do. It involves tense boat rides. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I need to make a few things clear here- I've never watched RoB. I only know of Johann thanks to other people's stories and some Wikipedia entries. So I made up my own village, and my own Chief for said village, and my own chief's daughter for said village. I also made up a festival that isn't in viking tradition but shhh. There will be a little bit of a :o moment half way through, just looking for more excuses for Astrid and Hiccup to yell at each other and Eret to get more false hope. However, I think you'll enjoy how this one ends. *shrugs.* It also jumps around a lot, PoV wise, but it's pretty easy to figure out whos thinking what.  
>Oh yeah, and screw that schedule. I'm such an unorganized person thanks to school, so i'll post when I get around to it.<strong>

Chapter Five;;  
>Kari<p>

Eret sauntered up the well-worn path to the stairs of the Great Hall early the next morning. As winter steered it's course through Berk, food was scarce in individual households and spirits were low. Most Viking's would gather together in the Great Hall to keep up their spirits and exchange resources. Usually, Eret avoided the social events he wasn't needed to attend- mainly because of Hiccup and Astrid. Hiccup wasn't expected to eat with the seniors during the early morning meal and he didn't want to suffer through more giggling then he needed too. But he'd had such a good time talking to Astrid yesterday, he found himself craving more of her attention. He went to the Great Hall to see if he was lucky enough to continue their conversation from the previous evening.

He swung open the great doors and trotted inside, turning his head to the table where everyone always sat. Astrid was there, but surprisingly enough he couldn't see any sign of the copper mop that followed her like a lost puppy. She looked miserable, with her cheek leaning against the heel of her palm as she lazily pushed the food around on her plate. Eret walked over and sat down in Hiccup's seat again. It was fair game, as long as the chief wasn't there. First come first serve and all that. He got a considerably less amount of odd looks from the table, however a few Viking's turned to look at him in confusion from other tables. The Great Hall was quieter in the morning, and he swore he saw a Viking sleeping with his head on his plate just a minute ago.

It would seem he'd arrived at the perfect time, for Hiccup came walking into the Great Hall less than five minutes away from him. He looked well groomed and put together, but Eret didn't miss the dark circles hanging under his eyes and he smirked. He'd hoped it was from himself. He'd hoped that Hiccup had stayed up all night worrying about his girlfriend leaving him. Hiccup's green eyes glanced around the room until they came to settle on Eret. Hiccup's face immediately grew cold, and emotionless. It was unsettling, as Hiccup always had some sort of animated expression pulled across his thin features. Even if it was the tiny smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth when he was talking to someone who had no idea what they were talking about. Eret supposed being the village embarrassment for so long caused him to gain the skill of being apathetic when he needed to be, he just didn't need too most of the time. Eret couldn't help but give a small, sly smirk in Hiccup's direction and he could've swore he saw a flash of anger in those green eyes. It was gone as soon as it came, though, and Hiccup sat down in the seat across the table from Astrid. He looked down at his food and then back at her. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek.

Something was up, and it couldn't have made Eret happier.

"Trouble in paradise?" Snotlout cooed, echoing his own thoughts. Astrid whipped her head up and glared at him, sending a kick under the table for his shin. Snotlout whined a bit and shot a glare back before reaching under to rub at his leg. Eret chuckled under his breath, looking down at his food to hide his amusement. She was so full of attitude. It was one of the many reasons he liked her. She was like one of those big cats he'd seen on his travels- beautiful yet deadly.

"Shut up, Snotlout," Astrid mumbled, leaning forward to look at her food. She hadn't touched it, she hadn't even had a bite. Which was weird for Astrid, usually she was asking to finish up the other's food. Hiccup looked worried, and he leaned across the table to nudge the food in her direction.

"Eat," he said sternly, furrowing his eyebrows and watching her. Astrid didn't reply, simply glared up at him with one of those fiery looks she saved for those who annoyed her. Eret had never seen her give that look to Hiccup, and it shot a burst of joy through him. Was this actually happening?

"Seriously, Astrid? Eat," Hiccup hissed at her, leaning back and crossing his arms across his tiny chest. Astrid did nothing but rolled her eyes, pushing the food away from her to prove a point.

"You're being stubborn." The other's at their table had quieted down too, but only Fishlegs looked uncomfortable. The rest were so caught up into it, it was like they'd never seen anything more interesting. Of course, all Eret was doing was internally smirking.

"That's what Vikings are. They're stubborn. It's one of our most redeeming qualities," Astrid snarked back, resting her arms on the table. Hiccup reached over and ripped a piece off the end of her bread, holding it out to her.

"Eat this, and I'll leave you alone about it," he ignored her, staring at her with hard eyes. She simply stared back, both of them fighting for dominance to see who would drop out first. Eret's bet was Hiccup. He might have had the authority over everyone in the village, but he could never hold his position over Astrid. And they both knew it.

"No," she crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. Was she growling at him? It took every fibre of Eret's being not to laugh.

He rolled his eyes slightly and sat back, dropping the bread back onto the plate. Eret couldn't tell if he was angry or annoyed. Probably both. Hiccup pushed himself to his foot and metallic leg, putting his hands up in surrender and shrugging his shoulders.

"Fine, Astrid," it sounded like an insult, but with Hiccup being Hiccup, Eret couldn't tell. "Continue acting like a five year old kid. I don't care." He spun around on his foot and stalked off to the front of the door. Astrid slammed her hand down on the table in anger and then turned to the twins, who both looked like they were going to say something.

"Say it, I dare you," she hissed through gritted teeth. Tuffnut and Ruffnut both shut their mouths simultaneously. Astrid pushed herself away from the table and stormed off as well, flicking her hair over her shoulder. A couple of the older Viking's sitting at the table beside them watched both stalk off in confusion. Hiccup and Astrid never fought.

Except for when Eret stepped in. Clearly, Astrid was having trouble dealing with Hiccup's smart tongue and tiny arms when Eret was in her life. He grinned to himself at the though, standing up. He was going to go comfort her- so far, his plan had been perfect. It was fantastic. He'd never had better luck in his life. Maybe Odin was just having fun before? Finding a way to make him work for his happy ending? Well, whatever it was, he was thankful for it. He'd had his doubts he'd be able to pull of destroying Berk's perfect couple. He managed, though.

As he sauntered towards the door, he noticed a small envelope sitting on the ground with a seal he'd never seen before. He picked it up. Scribbled across the back of it was a name. '_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.' _The name was written in loops and curls, and Eret smiled darkly to himself. It looked like a woman's handwriting.

He was sure Astrid would like to know about this.

* * *

><p>Astrid had been so angry with her ridiculously hard-headed boyfriend all day, she'd barely gotten anything done but maim a few trees with her axe. The sun was setting in the sky above her, leaving the forest to become dark and quiet. Occasionally, a creature would stir, but nothing disturbed her. She was even scarring the wildlife with the way she was sinking her sword into the bark of a tree. Or maybe it was Stormfly laying behind her. Either way, taking her frustrations out on the unsuspecting flora comforted her. She'd been stubborn with Hiccup on purpose earlier. She'd wanted to make him mad, she wanted to make him leave. She didn't want to have to look at him and see the distrust in his eyes she'd been seeing for the past few days. She came out here into the woods, getting in some well deserved practice with her favourite weapon and some quality ranting time with her dragon.<p>

"He's just so-" she yelled angrily as she scored a large cut into the size of a tree, "-frustrating." She panted heavily and her stomach groaned with hunger. She'd been too stubborn earlier to eat, and she'd been avoiding her boyfriend all day that she hadn't gotten the chance to grab something. The hunger simply fuelled her anger, and so she threw her axe further, and harder, until she tired herself to the point she couldn't even pull the weapon out of her most recent victim. She flopped to the ground and laid there for a while, staring at the stars and thinking.

Once she was thoroughly calmed down, she let her mind drift back to Hiccup. How could he not trust her? She'd never done anything to hurt him, or anything that would imply she would. He'd suddenly become so protecting and showy and it bothered her. Yet still, despite her anger, she felt her heart ache with the thought of him. She hadn't seem him all day, and she missed him. She sat up, her anger and her body drained, and pulled herself to her feet. She'd go see if he was at the forge. And if she was, she'd take up her post on his desk and watch him work. It was one of her favourite past times, after all. She pulled herself sleepily to her feet. Stormfly rose beside her, letting her girl lean against her for support. They stumbled through the woods towards the village.

Maybe, if she was lucky, they'd make up and she'd get to sleep in his arms tonight.

As her and her dragon made their way towards the forge, she faintly heard a voice calling out from behind her. Astrid spun around until she was facing the familiar blue tattoos. Honestly, she thought they were a bit strange and unattractive, but considering all of the other members of his ship had them, she didn't say anything. They couldn't be removed anyway, even if he wanted them to go. She leaned tiredly against her dragon, yawning dramatically towards him.

"Hey, Eret. I was just heading to see Hiccup, so, can you make this fast?" She already felt herself falling asleep against Stormfly, and she needed at least some energy to crawl into Hiccup's arms. Eret's face fell for a moment and he glanced down at the thing he had gripped in his hand. He bit down on his lower lip and his eyes flashed back up to her.

"Uh, nevermind. I don't want to disturb anything when you two are just starting to see eye to eye again." This peaked Astrid's curiosity and she held her hand out.

"Hand it over, Eret," She attempted to sound threatening, but with her tired mind and grumbling stomach it was hard. He rubbed his chin with one of his obnoxiously large hands and reluctantly handed over the paper.

"I uh, found this. After you both left. It's addressed to Hiccup. I didn't read what was in it." She grabbed the paper from his fingertips and glanced at the back. The writing was incredibly _girly _and it had Hiccup's name written on it. She narrowed her eyes and pulled the small piece of paper from it's envelope.

_Hiccup,_

_I suppose I should be calling you chief, should I? Chief Hiccup- there's something I wasn't expecting to say so soon. My father and I heard about your father, I'm terribly sorry for the loss. He died a great man, and he did many things. You'll be a suitable successor, I know it. Berk is doing well, I hope? Kleifar is wonderful, we're celebrating our traditional Bl__ó__m festival soon. I told you about that when you were here, right? It's a festival to celebrate the Gods thawing the snow and bringing back the summer. I know it's early, but Einar found the first flower sprouting in our garden only a fortnight ago. It's a little thing, but it's cause for great celebration, isn't it? I thought so. It means warm weather!_

_I should get to the point of my letter, shouldn't I? Well, my father wanted to write to you personally but he's been so busy, I offered to do it for him. He wanted to invite you to the festival, and while you're here, you could sign the peace treaty and trade agreement under your name, so it's no longer under your father's. Consider it a sign of good faith. And we'd get to see you again! Doesn't that sound fun? Send me your reply as soon as you can, please!_

_Tell Toothless I say hi!_

_Sincerely,_

_Kari_

Kari?

Who in Odin's name was Kari?

And why was she writing to _her _Hiccup about a festival and an invitation, and why didn't Hiccup tell her?

So many questions buzzed around in Astrid's brain as she studied the looped and swooping Norse lettering across the paper. How do you make Norse look that pretty? It's a bunch of sticks put together! She crumpled up the piece of paper furiously in her hand, trying to control her feelings. A new rush of anger coursed through her veins, giving her the much needed energy to storm right down to the forge and demand to know who Kari was. The double standard here was ridiculous. He can go around writing to other Chief's daughters and he can get invited to places and not tell her, but she can't even go for a nighttime flight on her dragon with a friend? Oh, he was going to pay for this.

"Uh, I'll take that as my cue to leave," Eret nodded cautiously towards the paper she was strangling with her hand and backed away towards the road his house was located on. "Take care."

Astrid didn't even hear him. The blood was pounding in her ears so loudly as she spun around and started stomping to her destination. Stormfly worriedly squawked behind her but followed, loyal until the end. She kicked a bucket angrily out of her way as she walked into the forge, fuming mad and aiming to seriously injure. Hiccup glanced up in surprise at her, hammer half raised above his head and sweat collecting on his skin. Whatever metal work Hiccup had managed to create lay on the anvil in front of him, however she didn't bother to stop and look. Instead, she turned to hiss at him.

"Who is Kari?"

* * *

><p>Hiccup had been happily taking out all his pent up frustration on an unsuspecting sword when Astrid, in all her glory, had swept into the forge with a face as red as a Monstrous Nightmare. He wasn't exactly sure what set her off now, but she was furious with him. She stalked right up in front of him, grabbed him by the front of his tunic and hissed mere inches away from his face.<p>

"Who is _Kari_?"

At first, Hiccup was confused. It took him a moment of going over the days events in his head to realize what she'd been talking about. He reached his arm down into his boot- yep, his message from Aldrich the Mighty's daughter was missing. Lovely. Just another reason for her to get upset and run further into Eret's arms.

"Astrid," he tried to keep as calm as he could, lightly untangling her fingers from his shirt. "Calm down, and let me explain."

"What is there to explain? Do you not see these double standards? You can exchange secret letters with girls from other villages that I've never even met, but I'm not allowed to spend a few hours with a friend? That is absolutely ridiculous, Hiccup." She dropped his shirt and shoved him away from her. She was yelling so loud he could've swore the entire village woke up. He took a deep breath, thinking over strategic ways he could handle the situation without sentencing himself to death.

"It's not what you're thinking," he rolled his eyes at her. Sometimes, he wondered how exactly he managed to live with her on a day to day basis without dying. It seemed like that wasn't going to change.

"No? Then why didn't you tell me about it? Why keep it from me so that way Eret had to tell me?" She shoved the crumpled up ball of paper into his face. His face darkened at the mention of Eret.

"Eret gave you the letter?" He asked quietly.

"Yes, because someone else didn't," She shot him a glare. Of course, of course. Eret was pinning them against each other so that way they'd argue. He'd been planning this all along, the sneaky troll. He wasn't going to win this round. Hiccup had patience, Hiccup could wade through Astrid's anger and shove the fact in her face. There was no way he was going to let Eret have the satisfaction of having them fight over another thing.

"Last time I checked, you've been avoiding _me_ all day." He couldn't stop the bitterness from seeping out in his voice. It was true, and it hurt. She'd purposely slacked off all the jobs he'd given her, avoided all the places he's been, simply because she was being stubborn earlier. "I don't know what exactly I did to make you suddenly not want to be around me, but, it wasn't my fault."

Astrid's face seemed to fall at the recognition of her own mistake and she glanced down at the paper in her hands. She took a deep breath, and Hiccup realized how exhausted she looked. Her shoulders were drooping, and her face was pale. Had she eaten anything today? Hiccup couldn't be sure. She didn't comment on his previous argument, instead she just looked up at him with hard and determined eyes.

"Who's Kari, Hiccup?" She'd calmed down, her voice was softer. However he could still detect the anger and betrayal. Hiccup sighed softly. He could explain himself now, he could get her to listen. They'd be okay.

"Aldrich The Might's ten year old daughter," Hiccup exaggerated the 'ten year old' part on purpose, hoping maybe it wouldn't just bounce off her ears. His hands waved around in wide motions as he explained who she was and where he met her. "When my dad took me with him to meet our trading partner's last summer, one of our stops was Kleifar. She took a liking to me, and told me how much she wanted me to come to see the pretty festival lights and flowers at their next Blóm festival. Seeing as ten isn't exactly my type, I'm pretty sure you're safe." He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. Astrid looked apologetic, chewing on the inside of her cheek like she did whenever she was nervous or thinking. It was one of those little quirks she had that made her adorable.

"And you were going to tell me when you had the chance?" Hiccup nodded in response almost right away. She reached up to brush her bangs away from her face. "Are you going to go?"

Hiccup nodded again. "I was thinking we could take the boat we'd rescued for Eret, and I'd take a few council members with us. Eret would have to come, too, and I think bringing Fishlegs along would be a good idea. I can't spend my entire time answering dragon questions like I did last time, but he probably could." He started to lay his plan down to Astrid, like he was so used to doing with everything else. "And then, of course, I'd want you to come, since one day you'll have to attend these meetings anyway-" She cut him off by hugging him. It was something he wasn't expecting, and he smiled. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against him. He didn't miss the way she put most of her weight against him to hold herself up, or the small yawn she gave against his chest.

"What was that for?" He chuckled softly, his spirits lifted from having Astrid in her rightful place again.

"I love you." She murmured against him, lifting her head to softly brush her soft lips against his.

"I love you too." He leaned his forehead against hers, smiling to himself. He pushed her away for a moment so he could stand up straight and wrap his arms around her shoulders. She knocked her fist lightly against his shoulder, and he laughed. It wasn't as hard as her usual punches since her body was slowly deteriorating, but he shook his head and played along none the less.

"What was that for?"

"That, was for arguing with me." She said matter-of-factly, before starting off towards the door. "You can make it up to me by walking me home."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Is this true? Am I finally updating this? *gasps.***

**Also, I apologize to you guys about the badness of this chapter. I haven't written for a while (thanks school) and I'm a little out of practice. It's mostly just a description of the characters joining us on this journey, and what's up with all of our friends in this story. **

Chapter Six;;  
>Setting Sail<p>

Well, _someone _was in a good mood.

Eret didn't miss the cheery bounce to his walk as Hiccup stalked down to the forge next morning, or how he seemed to greet everyone with an over-exaggeratedly happy "hello!" He also noticed the couple of clumsy missteps he took that didn't throw him off, either, or how excitedly smug he was to dump Eret's new saddle on his front steps that afternoon. Eret leaned in his doorframe with one eyebrow raised as Hiccup kneeled on the front grass, spreading all the straps across the grass. Skullcrusher took a hesitant sniff towards it.

"So you see, Hiccup started, frustratingly friendly considering what had transpired between the two of them over the past few days. "I fit it to fit your height, since you were smaller than my dad like you pointed out. And I added a few features that might suit it better for you. Like a place to put your daggers so you don't have to have them on your back while you fly," he lifted two small holsters on either side, "and better horns for your shoulder weight." Curse Hiccup. Curse him and his intuitive brain and how good he is at figuring people out. It was bothering Eret how much time and effort the chief had put into the saddle. It was clearly the product of hours of work and thinking. There Hiccup went again, acting all high and mighty. Eret grumbled something along the lines of "thanks" and turned to go back inside. His plan was interrupted and he glanced over his shoulder to see Hiccup sitting back on the balls of his feet.

"I also wanted to ask you," his fingers bounced excitedly against his thigh, "you wouldn't mind taking the ship to Kliefar, would you? It's a two day, one night trip, and I could trade you off on the night shift on steering it in the right direction." Eret's ship was not a regular Viking longship. It was far more accommodating, spacious, and easier to control. Hiccup had taken it into his hands to go flying out in search of it after the war, and found it floating alone in the sea. Eret's crew had abandoned it after the dragon riders had taken him, taking one of the rowboats and probably hoping they wouldn't be bothered. Hiccup spent most of his free time making repairs to the large boat, with Eret's reluctant help, until he figured out all the mechanics so he could steer it just as well as it's own captain. It would seem there wasn't a thing Hiccup couldn't do when he put his mind too it, and the heavier set Viking just shrugged.

"She hasn't been used in a while," Eret grumbled, putting his hands on his hips. "She could use a run." Hiccup's face lit up and he jumped to his feet like a little kid. The prospect of driving the ship seemed to just further his good mood and Eret rolled his eyes.

"Great!" Hiccup exclaimed, his grin extending across his whole face, "We'll leave in three days." Eret simply nodded and went inside, slamming the door shut. He still had a chance. He was going to be stuck on a ship- that required strength to man the sails and load the supplies- with Astrid for 2 days and a night. He'd get his opportunity to take back what was rightfully his. He walked over to the room where his bed was and opened the trunk at the end of it, pulling out the nessisities for his trip and preparing.

* * *

><p>"I'm glad I could convince your mom to let you come. Of course, I doubt she would have stopped us. After all, everyone's going to have to get to know my, uh, my future, you know..." Hiccup blushed as he walked beside her to the docks.<p>

Astrid was pleased to see Hiccup so happy. Three days felt like forever since she'd seen his gorgeous, animated smile or the way he waved his hands around in the air. And as she listened to him explain to her the entire plan for the trip- where he'd take over the night shift from Eret to steer the boat, then sleep until they reached Kleifar the next evening- she couldn't help but catch his smile. The way he lit up when he was happy fascinated her, because almost every part of his face moved. The corners of his lips were practically touching his ears, and his eyebrows were lifted up into the mop of hair on his head. His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as well. He was just so loveable, and so _Hiccup,_ that she couldn't help but wonder why she'd been so angry in the first place. As they walked up to the new and improved _"Whispering Death", _Astrid noticed the shapes of Eret and Snotlout already on the boat, along with two of Hiccup's council men- Aren the Malicious and Ulric the Brave. If it had been Astrid's choice, she would've left Snotlout behind, but since he was going to be taking his father's place as Hiccup's right-hand when the time came, Spitelout thought it had been a good idea for Snotlout to join them. Astrid secretly believed Spitelout wanted to show Aldrich the Mighty how much better of a chief Snotlout would've made. She scowled at the thought.

"I'll be right back," Hiccup murmured in her ear, before planting a kiss on her cheek and bounding away. He pulled himself with surprising grace onto the boat and joined in conversation with the other men, his shoulders and arms moving around wildly as he explained the plan. Snotlout and Eret looked mildly unamused, and it made Astrid want to punch both of them. Hard.

A elbow to her side startled her and she turned to look at a familiar face. The girl Thorston stood beside her with a smirk plastered across her face. "So, Astrid," she said, wiggling her shoulders suggestively. "You and Hiccup going to share the Captain's quarters tonight?" Astrid felt her face grow red at the other girls suggestion but she decided against giving in to her game.

"Of course, Ruff," she drawled sarcastically, tucking her hands in her pockets. "We're going to kick Eret out so we're right above you all and you can hear us all night long." She pushed her hair out of her face and rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

Ruff laughed. Despite how annoying the Thorston twins could get, she was thankful that Ruffnut's mother was sending them to look for possible trading wares for her tailoring. Astrid didn't think she could stand being on a boat full of men without the company of at least one other girl. Her and Ruffnut had grown up together, trading stories as young girls and beating up the boys when they got too out of control. Mostly, it was Astrid taking out Snotlout and Ruffnut taking care of her brother (Fishlegs didn't bother them much), but it was always nice to have backup of your own gender. And there were certain things she just couldn't say to Hiccup, since he wasn't a girl and couldn't understand.

"You've been spending too much time with Hiccup," Ruff shook her head. "You're getting to be as sarcastic as he is. I don't think the world will be able to handle it." Astrid's face broke out into a grin and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe that's our plan. We're just going to sarcasm everyone into submission." Ruffnut shook her head and looked over at the boat. Her jaw dropped a bit and the corners of her lips turned upwards a bit.

"I don't care how much Snotlout and Fishlegs try to get my attention," she said wistfully, "Neither of them will compare to that, looks wise." Astrid followed her friend's gaze to the item of her current affections.

Eret was standing on the boat, all sweaty and, in Astrid's opinion, gross. He was pulling up the rope to lower the sails, his muscles bulging out of his shirt. He had taken off the furs he was wearing, in nothing then just a tunic and his trousers. With every pull it was clear to see his biceps move, even from this distance, and Astrid wrinkled her nose. What about that did Ruffnut find attractive? He just looked gross, like he needed a bath. And his hair certainly didn't shine in the sunlight like Hiccup's did.

Surprisngly, Hiccup was keeping up his weight for his size on the boat. He had the other rope, pulling on it, face twisted in effort. He did manage to get it mostly down by himself, and was working at it. Astrid guessed it was the years of dragon flying that turned him into the attractive chief he was. Astrid smiled to herself a bit, and caught Hiccup's eye. He smiled sheepishly and immediately looked away. She didn't miss how red his freckled face got all of a sudden. Hiccup blushed at almost everything. It was cute.

"I don't know what you see in him," Ruff said, scratching at her jaw and possibly drooling a little bit over Eret. "I mean, look at him. He's just a pile of elbows and dotted skin."

"Yeah," Astrid replied, grinning to herself. "But he's my pile of elbows and dotted skin." She laughed a little and leaned back, a bit to stretch out her back. She heard a satisfying pop, and she stood back up. Just then she noticed Fishlegs scurrying over to them. Hiccup had thought it would be a good idea to bring Fishlegs with him, since he'd be too busy with chief duties to teach the people of Kleifar about dragons. Fishlegs didn't bother anyone much, so they thought it'd be safe. The only person he seemed to annoy was Ruffnut. The girl standing beside her had already dropped her drooling face into a scowl.

Even if Snotlout and Fishlegs had saved her life, Astrid knew Ruffnut still didn't like being the centre of their game of fetch. She didn't like the two boys fighting for her, around her, because it all felt fake to her. She had explained this to Astrid over an evening of wandering the woods at night with a flask of alcohol. Astrid couldn't blame her. She'd been the centre of Snotlout's affections for a while, and it took all her willpower not to sock him one. So when Ruffnut groaned irritably, Astrid just put on her sweetest smile.

"Isn't this exciting?" Fishlegs spoke quickly and excitedly, similar to Hiccup, however he spoke softer and stood still. Astrid had never joined in on the other's teasing of Fishlegs, like she never joined on Hiccup's teasing, although she did see him as a liability for the longest time. Now, she saw him to be one of the most useful members of the tribe. Fishlegs had taken up being the healer of the dragons in the village, and nobody, except for maybe Hiccup, had the vast and wise knowledge Fishlegs did when it came to dragons. "We're taking a trip to a new land. A really big one, with lots of trades and foreigners."

Hiccup had told Astrid about Kleifar. It was to the south, so it was warmer (Astrid was looking forward to that), and had a vast network of vendors and merchants. It was practically the central hub for all things exotic, and it's market place alone was the size of Berk. She was looking forward to getting there, as she hadn't been to many new places. She could never get close enough to a village before they'd try to shoot her down on Stormfly, so all she knew was stories Hiccup had told her. This would be her first time to a village bigger than Berk.

"Yeah, really exciting." Astrid replied so Ruff didn't have too, nodding her head.

Fishlegs continued on, babbling quickly about the possibility of finding new material to get Hiccup to make a softer saddle so it didn't bother Meatlug's back or something, when Eret interrupted.

"We're all loaded up!" His voice boomed out over them, and when Astrid looked over she caught him staring straight at her with some kind of amused smirk on her face. She lifted an eyebrow. She'd never had a problem with Eret, since he'd always been a nice guy to her, but she was starting to wonder if her original judgement was wrong. She'd followed after her two friends and glanced back at the dragons. They were all to fly there, except for when it got late, when they'd land on the deck. This would make it less crowded and keep the dragons from tiring themselves too much. It would also keep their ship safe from any pirates. "Nobody would mess with a boat being escorted by dragons." Hiccup had told her in earnest, smiling. That boy had thought of everything.

She'd reached the ship, pulling herself up onto it. Astrid placed her hand on the satchel at her side, and looked back at her village, before heading off to find her boyfriend before he went to sleep.

**There we go, now you know what's up with the gang. In case you didn't get it, Astrid's coming because she's Hiccup's future wife and people need to see that, Eret's coming because he's captain of the ship and Hiccup needs someone else to be able to control it when he isn't, Snotlout's coming in his father's place on Hiccup's council, the two Thorston's are going to look for trade options for their mother, and Fishlegs is coming to help Hiccup out in explaining the dragons to people since he'll be too caught up. That counts for everyone, right? C:**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I've been sick and in bed for the past few days, so here's some fluff that is well needed in my opinion. And some other stuff. But the other stuff isn't important, only the Hiccstrid fluff is important. Even if the other stuff is kind of important. You get me?**

**By the way, I keep getting reviews about whether Astrid will end up with Hiccup or Eret (well, mostly people demanding she end up with Hiccup). Keep it in mind, that no matter what happens, Hiccup and Astrid ****_will _****end up together by the ending. And I think you'll all like how that happens. Anyway, now to the fluff.**

Chapter Seven;;  
>Mine<p>

This whole ship ride had been a mess.

First of all, Hiccup had to break up more than one fight between Snotlout and Astrid. It seemed keeping them in close quarters with little escape was a very, very bad idea. Second of all, he had to explain to the twins (more than once) the reason why they could not ignite Barf and Belches fires _on _or_ near _the boat. Finally, he had to watch Eret pretend to be the good guy every time he got up to address on of the previous issues. The plan had been for him to sleep during the day but that didn't happen. It was a good thing he was used to going two or three days on little to no sleep.

Now, he was standing out on the desk with the sleeping dragons, leaning against the wheel and watching the stars above him. Toothless had decided to stay up to keep him company, and it was comforting to have another presence awake with him. He was stroking Toothless' back and naming the constellations in his head, trying to keep track of direction and not disturb the other sleeping passengers. That was hard. Years of being prepared to jump out of your sleep for dragon attacks kept Viking's surprisingly light sleepers. He turned his gaze to watch the water around the boat, noting a couple of scaldrons cruising in the boats wake. He smiled a bit. As an introvert, Hiccup found being chief difficult. Not that he didn't love his village, but any time that he had before to hide away from the village was now to be used making it better. Everywhere he went someone needed his attention. He didn't get alone time very often.

Small arms wrapped around his torso and a chin rested on his shoulder, knocking him free of his little fantasy world. When he glanced to the side he saw Astrid, watching him with her sparkling blue eyes and a small smile on her lips. With the moonlight dancing off her face and her body void of all metallic contraptions, Hiccup was almost sure he had to be dreaming. It was impossible that he'd manage to snag someone so beautiful, and fiery, and _viking, _when he himself was nothing more than awkward and freckled. He blushed a little and was thankful for the darkness because of it, turning his head back to look at the ocean in front of the boat.

"Hey," she said quietly, her eyes bearing into him. He offered her a half smile and glanced at her through the corner of his eye.

"Hey," he responded in a whisper, afraid that if he spoke too loud he'd shatter the peaceful atmosphere and everything would go back to chaos and explosions (thanks to the twins.)

"I know today was difficult," Astrid started, her fingers stopping to play with the buckles on his armour and instead reaching up to twist his hair into two familiar pieces he'd forgotten he'd taken out. "But you're doing the best you can, Hiccup. It isn't your fault Snotlout lives up to his name and the twins find destruction fun."

"At least Fish seems to understand the fact we're all stuck together. So far he's left Ruffnut alone," he chuckled. It was true, his only true friend beside Astrid had taken a liking to the female Thorston and thus caused many a problem with her and hitting him. Didn't help that, since Fishlegs was going after Ruffnut and Astrid was now out of reach, Snotlout had thought it had been a fantastic idea to go after Ruffnut as well. He was thankful that he no longer had to put up with Snotlout's incessant hitting on _his _Astrid, even if it meant he had traded his cousin for Eret. He started leaning his away playfully away from her to stop her from adding the two accessories she was determined to keep there. This action seemed to work more in her favour than his, since it tugged on his hair and caused him to let out a girlish squeal. Astrid laughed behind him, pursing her lips as if she was trying not to smile. Hiccup glared at her a bit, reaching up to touch the two tiny braids. "I don't understand why you like these."

"Because... they're like, a mark. They mean your mine." She said matter-of-factly. "Like a piece of me goes with you wherever you go, so that way you remember that." He couldn't help but smile. It was true. He was so caught up in Astrid Hofferson that she practically owned him. He'd sit, stay, and fetch like an obedient dragon, and all she'd have to do was give him one of those mesmerizing smiles. It was pathetic, really. He didn't mind though. He'd probably still be hers even if she belonged to someone else. Like Eret.

The thought popped into his head that he should talk to her about Eret. The moment was perfect, and it was just the two of them so there was no fear of interruptions. He could just come straight out with it, and tell her that he'd been trying to fend Eret off and that's why he'd been acting so weird. He'd probably get a punch to that permanently bruised spot on his shoulder, and maybe a little bit of a temper-tantrum, but nothing he couldn't deal with. They could be happy, move on, and he wouldn't have to ever see Eret's smug smile again when it portrayed to his girlfriend. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. The logically part of his brain told him that it was a bad idea to tell her at this moment, since they were all trapped on a boat together and starting a fight was the last thing he should do. But there was a tiny voice in the back of his head that told him he shouldn't say it, because she'd realize and run straight into Eret's big, muscular arms.

"Silver for your thoughts?" Astrid murmured, bringing Hiccup out of his mind and back to reality. He half smiled at her, resting his chin on the wheel beneath him.

"I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have Odin send me my very own Valkyrie," Astrid didn't blush often, but she did this time, and he wasn't expecting her fist to connect with his shoulder.

"Wha- what was that for?" Hiccup asked with a pout, reaching his fingers up to gingerly rub the spot.

"Being mushy." She replied, jutting her chin out with a wide smile. Then she leaned down to press her lips against his. "And that was for the compliment." Hiccup smiled in response, feeling his face grow hot again but not really caring. The chills ran up his spine when Astrid pulled away, and he glanced back over his shoulder to look at her.

"I should probably get back down there, before anyone notices I'm missing and we never hear the end of it." She smiled, stepping back. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, Astrid. Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Eret had been minding his own business that evening, mulling around his cabin and looking over the map. He was also coming up with new plans on how he could charm Astrid, since sicking them against each other didn't work for long. He walked over to the window of his room and stared out at the waters, narrowing his eyes. Really, there was only one way he could do so- spend more time with Astrid than he was. Hopefully this trip would make it easy. After all, Hiccup would be napping most of the boat ride, and then he'd also be busy being chief, so Eret would get plenty of time to win Astrid over. He vowed to himself that by the boat ride back, he'd be inviting Astrid to share his cabin.<p>

His room was getting stuffy and a little warm, so Eret decided to head out onto the deck and see just how Hiccup was doing. He didn't get much time to gloat over his small won victory of getting them to fight, and well, he was also itching for more information about Kari. He needed more fuel for his fires. So he opened the cabin door and stepped out into the night air.

The dragons were all sleeping around, each one snoring away on one part of the deck or another. Eret didn't see the need to bring Skullcrusher with him, since it was his ship and he needed no other transpiration, as he told Hiccup, but really he was a bit worried about showing the other Viking village that he wasn't as fantastic as Hiccup on dragon riding. He needed to seem as manly and amazing as he could on this trip, so there was no way he was going to bring the one thing Hiccup could outdo him in. Walking across the deck towards where the steering wheel was he stopped in front of Stormfly, reaching out to lightly pet her nose. The dragons eyes flew opened and she crooned, her head lolling to the side. Even Astrid's dragon had taken a liking to him, so clearly, it had to be a sign.

There was a soft creaking sound and Eret glanced over at the direction of the hold, where most of the other's on the trip would have been sleeping. He ducked down behind Stormfly, still scratching the dragon to keep her quiet, and watched the slender figure haul herself out of the darkness below. His eyes couldn't have missed the beautiful shape of his wanted love, or the way her braid fell off her shoulder. Her clothing was devoid of all armour- which was not something Eret ever saw- and he couldn't be happier. It was so much easier to admire every curve of her perfect body without the studded metal skirt in the way, and the heavy shoulder pads. She didn't have very much to offer, but she was still gorgeous, and muscular- another thing they both had very much in common.

Another reason Eret enjoyed having Astrid around was that the two related on so many levels. In a perfect world where she was his, he could imagine them having playful wrestling matches or sword fights. Of course, with his larger and more masculine stature he could always win against her, but it'd still be a struggle and that would be fun. The idea of making her submit to him were so enticing that he couldn't help but watch in awe as she walked towards the steps that lead up to the steering wheel. He was so caught up in the image of her squirming underneath him that he failed to realize why she would have been sneaking out of the hold this late at night- to visit Hiccup.

He caught a growl in his throat as he snuck forward, watching her come up behind the tall brunette they all called Chief. Eret was still pretending the only reason why she loved him was for the Dragon Master title, and for the fact he'd be willing to submit to whatever whim she came up with. He got a tiny bit of satisfaction of Hiccup's startled squeak, and the look of shock on his face as he glanced towards his girlfriend. It didn't fix how disgustingly mushy the scene before him was, as they were practically re-enacting one of the scenes from the travelling bard's silly love songs. Talking, cuddling, gazing lovingly at each other- he threw up a little in his mouth. Astrid shouldn't be reduced to what this shadow of a Viking turned her into- someone talking about her feelings and snuggling her arms around him. He wouldn't make her participate in such frivolous things like cuddling, or talking about their feelings. Astrid should be out fighting, using her warrior instinct in any way possible. Hiccup didn't seem to understand that, and it made Eret angry beyond belief.

He stood there while they talked, listening to Hiccup's more than ridiculous comment about her being a Valkyrie. If he thought that he could win Astrid's heart over with silly comments like that, he had to have been wrong. Eret was accustomed to girls like her, and they liked being shown that they could be overpowered. They didn't like feeling weak, only knowing that they had someone who was equal in status to them. Not some love-sick, scrawny twig. When they kissed, he stepped away, his mind somewhere completely else. Somewhere where it's Astrid kissing him, not Hiccup. A place where Hiccup's the one sneaking around listening to their conversations. He smiled to himself, knowing that the day that would happen would be coming. And that there was really nothing Hiccup could do to stop him.

Maybe they could even be friends after. Eret wouldn't mind.

As he turned around, he realized he'd been caught, for Astrid's voice sounded from behind him.

"What do you think _your _doing? Were you eavesdropping on us?" Her voice was shrill with anger, her short-temper flairing. This was how Astrid Hofferson was supposed to look- flaming, angry, _sexy_. Even though he knew it would be painful, and it would hurt, he wished for her tiny fists to batter against his face. He'd never had her hit him before, never had her touch him before, except for dragon training, so he was wishing for more contact. And when her fists balled up, he forced himself not to grin.

"I heard voices," he lied easily, thanks to years of practice. "I wanted to check up on Hiccup to make sure nothing was happening."

"How did you hear our w_hispers _from all the way inside your cabin while you were sleeping?" She snarled and it made his heart beat a little faster.

"Eret?" Hiccup's frustratingly nasally voice came from above them and Eret looked up, noticing in the darkness the surprisingly bright green eyes that shone down at him. Eret crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. Astrid relaxed a little when she heard Hiccup and once again, Hiccup ruined both his chances of the slender hands on him and for Astrid to release who she truly was.

Eret was just looking out for her. Hiccup was trapping her, and it was clearly unhealthy. Oh, that was good. He'd have to remember to bring that up to Astrid. It'd surely win him points.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" He continued to play the bigger person, putting his hand on his chest. "You caught me. I came out to visit Stormfly. I'm missing Skullcrusher," the lie flowed easily, and he could tell he was at least convincing Astrid. By the feeling of Hiccup's stare from above him, though, there was no way the auburn-haired boy was falling for his story. Hiccup was too smart anyway. "I heard some voices, and I was worried about Hiccup. I came to see if he was alright." Astrid's shoulders relaxed, although she still looked a little pissed from catching him. "I didn't hear much."

"Fine." She said, although with the anger still blazing in her eyes Eret could tell she was only holding back because Hiccup was there. She stalked past him and to the hold, climbing down in to it without one word of goodbyes to either of them. Once the hatch had closed, Eret looked back up at Hiccup, who had a smug smirk pulled across his face. Hiccup simply shrugged and stood up straight, turning around to walk back over to the wheel.

"This isn't over. Believe me." Eret growled towards the boy, before turning and stalking back to his cabin. He still had a chance to get his way. And he was going to enjoy it.

**I feel like my Eret is completely detouring from the cannon Eret oops. I'm trying my hardest to keep him as the antagonist here guys. I'm trying. Also, I hope you all enjoyed the fluff. And the chapters should be getting longer from here on out as we get deeper into the story. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I can't believe I have 50+ reviews on this story. That is absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the feed back! I know your all angry at Eret, which is good, considering it's what I'm going for, but just remember that he will get what he deserves. The longer I put it off, the more he can try, the more angry she'll be, the worse he'll get it. I'm trying to make him as the arrogant douche we all know and hate. Besides, how Astrid finds out with how the story ends and... you're going to like how it ends. And this is just a filler chapter while I write something a little more angsty at the same time in the next chapter.**

"They're here!" The cheers sounded from the docks of Kliefar, as quite a large group of people came to meet them. Their welcoming party included more people than Berk, and when she glanced over at Hiccup, she caught him grinning at her.

"What?!" She called over the cheers and wind at him, crossing her arms. There was nothing funny about this situation. Why was he laughing at her?

"Nothing?" Hiccup shook his head and Toothless dove down to the village, the large group of people moving to give them a large ring to land in. It would seem people still weren't entirely comfortable with the Night Fury, as they was as much concerned muttering as there was excited muttering. She could hear people whispering amongst themselves as she landed with her Deadly Nadder. It had been Hiccup's idea to get there before the ship, to let the people of Kliefar know that within the hour the rest of their boat would be arriving and to get all formalities out of the way before Snotlout arrived. It was hard to make a good first impression when that muttonhead was walking around with them.

"Hiccup!" A voice louder than Stoick's boomed above the crowd, and a large man elbowed his way through. He was slightly taller than Stoick, however not as wide, with a long blond mane of unruly curls falling out of his helmet. It would seem chieftans liked helmets that were far to small for their heads, as his looked proportionally smaller just as Stoick's did. The man walked with a cheerful bounce that caused him to jiggle while he walked. He was decorated in all manners of jewels and things, all which sparkled in the dying light. His blue eyes were part of that collection, and they were wide with amusement and mischief. Astrid could already tell she was going to like Aldrich the Mighty.

"Hello, Aldrich," Hiccup choked out when the large man picked him up in a hug. Her poor boyfriend looked like a mouse compared to the wide stature of Aldrich, and he was clearly having trouble breathing. Astrid laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand and trying to hide her laugh. "It's nice to see you too."

With another booming laugh Aldrich put Hiccup back down, his happy gaze turning on Astrid. "Ah! This must be the lovely Astrid!" He offered one of his large hands to shake, and she didn't miss just how tiny hers seemed in it. "Hiccup talked a lot about you when he was here last."

"Oh, did he?" She turned her head to look at her boyfriend, who was caught up in Toothless' saddle for a moment, face red. She laughed to herself and looked back up at the tall figure of Aldrich the Mighty. The man laughed as well and stepped back.

"Hiccup!" For the second time Hiccup's name was called, this time by two child-like voices. A young girl and young boy, both blond like their chief, ran out from in between the legs of people. Simultaneously they jumped on him, causing Hiccup to stumble backwards with a chuckle.

"Careful," He laughed, wrapping his arms back around the two kids. The young girl had her hair braided down her back simply, and the braid was long. She wore a simple shirt and a pair of leggings, although she too was decorated in a manner of shiny things. The little boy was similar, with a curly mess of blond hair flipping of his head in different angles. He wasn't decorated in such shiny things, and since he was considerably smaller than they girl, Astrid assumed they didn't trust someone so young with precious jewels. From the way these two looked like Aldrich, she assumed she was looking at his kids. Kari, and the boy she'd mentioned in her letter. Einar, or something.

Hiccup was listening to the two tiny Vikings talk, each over-powering the other in trying to get what they were saying heard. Hiccup's patience was a gift from the Gods, and she had no idea how he managed to be so collected all the time. The way he was watching the two kids with a smile across his face warmed her heart, and she leaned back against her dragon, who nudged her back compassionately. Toothless seemed to be jealous of all the attention his rider was getting and he wasn't, so he walked over and nudged the little girl with his snout. She giggled and started petting Toothless, giving the little boy all of Hiccup's attention. He was bouncing up and down, telling some exciting story in fast-spoken words, and Hiccup was just nodding. It was times like these she was reminded why she loved her boyfriend so much. After giving them a moment to catch up, Aldrich placed his hand on Hiccup's arm.

"Your ship has arrived, Hiccup," he said with a jerk of his chin towards his docks. "We'll catch up more once your settled in, at the feast." Hiccup bowed his head respectfully.

"Will do, Aldrich," he started, but the man tilted Hiccup's chin back up. "We're equals now, Hiccup. You don't need to bow to me." Hiccup nodded his head and looked at Astrid, before motioning to the docks.

* * *

><p>When Astrid and Hiccup stepped into Kliefar's Great Hall, it was like stepping into a different world. The space was at least five times the size of the one at home, with a celebration to match. There were decorations of all sorts adorning the tables, walls, and barrels of all different sorts of alcohol, mostly depicting the flora of the island. They had come during the annual Blom festival, which Hiccup had explained to her as the villager's of Kliefar's way of celebrating the coming of warm weather. When they found the first bloom of a flower or plant, they'd start preparations. The flower would then be dug out and place in a ceremonial pot, which would be displayed in the hall for all too see. There were games and specialities alike, as well as tourists coming from all over. Apparently, Aldrich the Mighty really knew how to throw and host a party. There was more food than she'd ever seen on tables around the edge of the big room, and Viking's singing merriments and crude songs alike dancing around the room. Most of them had on some sort of head decoration made of blades of grass and twigs, with a few flowers here and there, mostly only on the girls' crowns. She felt Hiccup chuckle beside her, and when she looked up at him, he was grinning again.<p>

"Amazing, isn't it?" He asked her, breaking her gaze to look around the wide room. Over the laughter she could hear the sound of music, and she vowed that by the end of the night she'd find the musicians making it and listen. They didn't get music often on Berk, and it was something she really enjoyed. Snotlout and the Twins pushed in behind them, followed quietly by Fishlegs. Before anyone could say anything, Tuffnut and Snotlout had already disappeared, and Ruffnut was running off to escape being stuck with Fishlegs. Fish followed after her, doing his best to elbow through the people Ruff could just slide between. Astrid shook her head, when she heard Hiccup's name being called, by a familiar, tiny little voice.

The small blonde girl from earlier, which Hiccup had confirmed to be Kari, appeared from the crowd with a small object in her hands. She bounced excitedly over to them, her braid pulling out behind her. She had her own crown, decorated with beautiful purple flowers, placed on her head, and as she got closer she recognized the object to be another one of the crowns. The little girl came up to them and held up her gift proudly.

"I made it for you, Hiccup!" She said excitedly, waving it around. There were a few flowers to match the ones in her crown, which Astrid could now see were made of fabric. Hiccup smiled at the gift and let go of Astrid's hand so he could kneel down on one knee in front of her.

"Why thank you, Kari," he thanked her genuinely, bowing his head so that she could place the adornment on his head. It looked silly in Hiccup's messy mop, causing his unflattering auburn hair to stick out at all angles from under it. Kari seemed happy though, her smile stretching across her small face, and she clasped her hands together. Hiccup laughed airily and reached up to run his fingers along the item. He looked absolutely ridiculous, and Astrid had to remember to tease him for this later. It would seem then that the child noticed her presence and looked up at her with the same smile.

Hiccup noticed the girl's sudden change in attention and put his hand on Astrid's shoulder, motioning between them. "Kari, this is Astrid. She comes from where I live." The little girl's blue eyes sparkled.

"She's so pretty," she said dreamily. "I hope I can be pretty like her some day." Astrid felt her face grow hot at the compliment, and she tried to cover it by brushing her bangs out of her face with her hand. Kari's attention was off her as quickly as it was on her and she grabbed a hold of Hiccup's hand.

"Come on, Hiccup! Papa is waiting for you at our table!" She tugged on his hand, although she wasn't really making a dent. She was up to Astrid's chest in height, and just about as slim. "I want to show him your crown!" Hiccup turned to look at Astrid and offered his free hand.

"Shall we, Mi'Lady?" He asked, but they were already on their way towards Aldrich the Mighty's table. She could see his tall figure from here, sitting in a large chair just like Stoick's at home. However, this one was decorated in shiny things, just as much as Aldrich and his children. A slender blonde woman sat next to him, picking at her food and watching Aldrich with a smile. Astrid assumed this was Aldrich's wife, and Kari and Einar's mother. Her suspicion was confirmed when Hiccup and her sat down at the table.

"Well, Hiccup!" The stench of alcohol was already on Aldrich's breath, and Astrid took a sip from her own cup, hoping it'd be filled with some sort of celebratory drink. "How is it? Did we amaze you?"

"You certainly did," Hiccup picked up his fork and started stabbing at his food with a smile. "It's incredible, Aldrich. You weren't kidding when you told me that you're Blom festival was the biggest one in the North."

"And the best!" Aldrich corrected him, lifting his tankard up to his lips with another swing. Kari started up excitedly from across the table.

"Papa, did you see the crown I made for Hiccup?" She asked, shoving her face full of food. She smiled sheepishly when her mother shot her a glare from across the table.

"Aye, sweetheart. It's wonderful. Purple's really your colour, Hiccup." The man started laughing and Hiccup blushed slightly, reaching up to adjust the ridiculous crown on top of his head.

"Thank you, Aldrich." Her boyfriend said with a sheepish smile, taking a bite of the strange meat on his plate. Astrid glanced down at her own food, poking it hesitantly with her fork and taking a bite. It was different to the usual of chicken or fish she was used too, and on her plate there was also a number of different vegetables of all different colours. It was strange to try the new foods, but she found it exciting, as each bite brought a new burst of flavour. She chewed happily, only faintly listening to Aldrich and Hiccup talk business. Trade deals, peace treaties, things she felt best she left to Hiccup.

**So Kari and Einar are adorable. And Hiccup got a crown made out of flowers. And I feel like I jump thoughts too much. Oh well.****  
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